10 Easy Spring-Cleaning Tips

Spruce up and get your house in order with our help.

Freshen Up - Spring is nearly here, and with warmer temps comes the urge to give our spaces a thorough once over. Here, tips to make your spring cleaning a breeze. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel  (Photo: Hero Images/Corbis)

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Freshen Up - Spring is nearly here, and with warmer temps comes the urge to give our spaces a thorough once over. Here, tips to make your spring cleaning a breeze. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel  (Photo: Hero Images/Corbis)

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Freshen Up

Doormat - It’s more than just decoration — your doormat helps keep dirt from making it inside. But it can’t do its job if it’s filthy. Wash it, if possible, or beat it with a broom to shake out the built-up dust and grime.  (Photo: Kinzie Riehm/Image Source/Corbis)

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Doormat

Sponge - It sounds funny to clean sponges, but their perpetual dampness makes them a breeding ground for bacteria. Disinfect your sponges by wringing them out and heating them in the microwave for two minutes. Do it every other day to keep germs at bay.  (Photo: Melinda Black/Getty Images)

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Sponge

Garbage Disposal - Drop a cut-up lemon, a few ice cubes and a bit of salt in the drain, then flick the switch. You’ll knock out odors and scrub out grime, too. (Photo: Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)

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Garbage Disposal

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Bathtub - This is how you remove soap scum in your tub without a ton of scrubbing. Fill the tub with super-hot water, and then add two cups of white vinegar and the juice of a couple lemons. Let it sit until it cools, then use a sponge soaked in lemon juice to quickly rub around the tub. Easy peasy.  (Photo: Mariana Silvia Eliano/Cover/Getty Images)

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Bathtub

Toilet - Quickly tackle a tough, hard water ring from your toilet bowl by swiping it with a dryer sheet — used ones work even better than new ones.  (Photo: David Freund/Getty Images)

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Toilet

Microwave - Put a bowl of water and vinegar in the microwave and nuke for 10 minutes. The gunk will wipe right out.  (Photo: Stocknroll/Getty Images)

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Microwave

Photo By Photo: Stocknroll/Getty Images

Ceiling Fans and Vent Covers - Forget dusters; use a vacuum with a brush nozzle attachment to remove dust without spreading it around the room.  (Photo: Shriya Patil/The India Today Group/Getty Images)

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Ceiling Fans and Vent Covers

Photo By Photo: Shriya Patil/The India Today Group/Getty Images

Sofa - Have stains on your microfiber sofa? Here's a tip: Grab a spray bottle, rubbing alcohol, a white sponge and white dish brush (to prevent color transfer) and get to work. Saturate the stain with the alcohol, then use the sponge to scrub off the stain, replacing it when it gets dirty so you don’t redeposit the gunk. After it dries, use the brush to restore the fabric’s softness. Good as new!  (Photo: Target)

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Sofa

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Walls - Have a little one who likes to decorate your walls with crayons? A bit of toothpaste, left on until it’s nearly dry, will take it right off. Just wipe with a wet, light-colored cloth.  (Photo: Natasha Sioss/Getty Images)

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Walls

Washing Machine - Is it smelling a bit musty or looking a little scuzzy? Set it to wash a large load on hot, and then add two cups of bleach. Let it swish around for a couple minutes, then stop the cycle to allow the bleach water to sit for an hour. When the hour is up, let the cycle continue. Then do the whole thing again using vinegar. Then run it again with plain water and use a microfiber cloth to wipe away any remaining residue. Or just buy washing-machine cleaner! (Photo: Hero Images/Corbis)

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Washing Machine